Alaska Pictures, Part 2...Glacier+Sitka

Okay...so here we go again!

So...we got on the ship Wednesday August 26th...I don't remember the time....probably around 3 p.m. or something like that. ANYHOW....so...the ship is big and I was feeling lost and tired from being on a bus for so long and just wanting to go to bed...but then again....we were in ALASKA...and I felt like there was no time to kill. So we got situated...and looked around the boat then we went down to dinner. That's where these pictures pick up at......

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This is Brandon's older brother Tyler and his beautiful wife (you guessed it) Jennifer! We were at the same table for dinner our first night. They had people coming around with cameras to take our pictures and if you know me then you know that #1 I don't like to have my picture taken and #2 even if someone else could do a better job, I rather take my own pictures for free. SO! I took a few shots of the people at our table!

This is Shon, Brandon's oldest brother and his adorable wife Pam! They are so fun. Pam let me try her smoked salmon. I am not a seafood eater...but I have to say, the salmon wasn't fishy...probably because it was so fresh. I learned on this trip that it's not so much the flavor but the texture of fish that I don't like. And I was very proud of Brandon for trying fish+shrimp on this trip!

This is another brother Wynn (not sure where he fits in the "line up") and his gorgeous wife Kami! These two are a blast. We stayed up late playing phase 10 with them+Jeff and Kayla a few nights! And it was tons of fun seeing their dance moves at FHE in the Deco Club!

Okay....enough about the family....SO! We woke up super early Wednesday morning as we cruised College Fjord. (click on the word to find out what it means) At the end, there was this huge glacier.

....this is the glacier from a distance....

...and this is about as close as we got...and as close of a shot that I could get with my camera. It was beautiful with rivers and waterfall flowing from it. We were all just waiting for a chunk to fall off because you could hear it moving and you could see big cracks and crevices in the ice. It was so quiet and still. Well, a little (well...size is relative here) piece did fall off...while my back was turned...but it didn't make the big splash like you see on TV or in pictures.

I just can't even tell you how huge this glacier was....this is another shot of a different part of it.

So, after seeing the glacier, the ship turned around and we headed out to sea. Most of us hit the gym. I did a morning stretch class that was fun. Then we settled in for a day at sea. Like I said before...this was our "storm day". But things didn't get bad until later in the afternoon. Before that, I went and did a little craft...bracelets for the girls. I met up with the family in the "Cool Club". They were listening to people do karaoke. This was the day that we had worn our matching t-shirts. They were a surprise for my mother in law. So anyhow...the whole family was sitting listening to people sing and the D.J. who was a great singer to hilarious girl was making fun of your family for being the "watchers". I don't remember exactly what she was saying, but I thought is was funny that all these musically talented people were just watching...so I, the untalented one of the group, got up and sang "I Will Always Love You" in my worst karaoke voice. My sister in law Kayla ended up singing with me and the D.J. girl did too...it was pretty fun+funny. After that, I signed Brandon, his mom and a couple other guys up to sing "YMCA". The D.J. busted out costumes for them! Too bad I didn't have my camera with me! Somebody send me pictures! I was hilarious. I signed a few other people up too....but they were too chicken. (Party poopers!) I should add that other family members DID eventually karaoke including Shon and Pam who I signed up. They did a great Sonny and Cher ("I Got You Babe")...I hope they have forgiven me by now!

Well... Not too long after Karaoke...the seas got pretty rough and...you know they story from there!

OH Sitka how I LOVE you! I was SO glad to get off that ship Friday morning...I almost kissed the ground! To learn more about the town of Sitka, click HERE! I saw these boats docked and just had to take a picture.

This was a big anchor...it was in a commons area, across from the above docked boats and right by a totem pole that's at the top of this post.

So, in Sitka, we basically shopped. I needed hair spray and Tylenol...and Brandon needed a little caffine. Sodas weren't free+very over priced on the ship!

Brandon and I enjoyed visiting this friendly bear! (Weston saw this picture and said that the bear was petting me!) I got the wooden necklace I am wearing at a shop there too....I saw these cool wooden watches at another port, in Skagway...but they were out of my price range!

I loved the colors....

...this church was there in the center of town forever, then burned down some years ago and was rebuilt. Some body in the family went on a tour of it and told me an amazing story about someone rescuing a huge chandelier from the church while it was on fire...by himself...and then when they went to put it into the church, it took 6 men to carry it.

We found the Sitka library...and used it's restroom...then stepped out and took this picture. Really...it was SO pretty there...and everywhere we went in Alaska. I seriously would move there tomorrow!

That's our ship...

Goodbye Sitka!

Me talking to the kids+my mom as we leave Sitka.

Brandon enjoying the view as we leave (....and maybe thinking of moving us there????? j/k).